Today, February 29th, is a ”bonus day". We'll take it! No matter how the calendar measures this day or that, time is personal and tangible. Kind of like the way playing a vinyl record feels good. There are dimensions we can't hear, but we feel. 

 

We like to think of wines made purely and thoughtfully by small producers as the vinyl of wine. There's something true and elusive that engages us; each is distinctly different, they're not “formula” wines, and our daily mission is to give them a voice. Thank you for having some fun exploring them with us. 

 

Thank you ~also~ for indulging us in our guess-the-sheet-music game in this month's window. We were touched (and jazzed!)  to have a talented (and legendary!) friend help us share the song reveal. The whole thing was inspired by a customer who brought us a three-bottle wine rack in the shape of a string instrument. We didn't know what to do with it any more than they did until we started thinking about music as an idea, the way it can convey so many things about a moment in time and the stories of the people who lived it, just the way true wines are a conduit of the same. 

 

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture". We think about this beautiful conundrum often when it comes to putting words to wine. The quote is possibly Frank Zappa's, but the source seems unclear- maybe because someone said it once and it rang so true that everyone else who felt it said it too. <3. Dan Keeling mentioned it in the latest episode of one of our favorite podcasts by Levi Dalton, I’ll Drink To That. We highly recommend this (and every!) episode of Levi’s kind, clever, deeply comprehensive dive into the vinous world. Each episode is an interview of a producer, writer, importer, you name it, who provides a thread to the unending fabric of this (Lion, Witch and) Wardrobe of wine.

 

Speaking of wine, we have a tasting tonight and plenty more throughout March.  You'll find the schedule below. 

 

Our tastings are centered around suppliers owned and run by real people who represent wines (thankfully and similarly) made by real people. They are professionals very much connected to the source, often hitting muddy or dusty vineyard paths, jet-lagged, bright-eyed, itinerary-packed…taking notes, creating relationships. They take heartfelt risks and gather meaningful stories to share alongside special bottles in places like our little shop, with people like you and me. 

 

We'll see you there!

 

<3 Team Cellary